Rest easy



P M. COWLES. 2,255,462

REST EASY Filed April 12, 1938 amend/ M MARTHA LCowl ES.

iatented Sept. 9, 1941 'UN 3 TE D STAT E. S PAT N T 9F F [C E REST EASYMartha L. Cowles, Atlantic City, N. J. Application April 12, 193-8,SerialNo; 201,553

,roi. 85)

4 Claims.

The invention includes a canvas which fits over regulation hospital bedmattress and has a body disposal aperture in the center. Steel rods,slip bolt connected at the corners, hold the canvas tight and the wholeis supported by a lifting apparatus which is fitted under and to thesides of the bed. It is raised from both sides simultaneously so thatthe patient may be easily lifted from and lowered to the mattress beforeand following use of container under aperture. When the canvas with thepatient on it is raised, the container is quickly and easily put inplace and in this way the patient need not be moved at all.

Fig. I is a side elevation of the device showing the lifting device inraised position.

Fig. II is a section showing the portion of the device at the far sideof the bed with the lifting device in lowered position.

In the drawing A represents the side rail of the bed and B is themattress. Above the mattress and resting thereon when in loweredposition is a canvas I with an opening 1'8 in its center. This canvas isstretched on a rectangular frame made up of rods l5 connected at thecorners by bolts It. The canvas is attached to the frame by threadingthe rods through a wide hem at the margin of the canvas.

The lifting apparatus for raising the frame and canvas comprises a pairof extensible posts 9 at each side of the bed, each post 9 consist- 1ing of a tubular portion and a movable portion slidable therein. Theside rods of the canvas supporting frame are connected to the tops ofthe posts by means of guard members I4 with rollers l3, thus forming abetween the posts and the frame. There are openings 22 in the canvas atthe corners to facilitate the connection of the rods, and at theconnections of the posts with the frame to permit movement of the postsrelative to the frame.

The posts on each side of the bed are connected by crossed rods pivotedto the posts and to each other by pivots 8. Each of these rods isconnected to the upper end of the slidable portion of one post and atits lower end to the lower portion of the tubular part of the otherpost. Thus when the posts are moved toward each other the rods, by aabout the central pivot 8, causes an upward movement of the slidableportions of the posts and thus raises the attached frame. The posts areprovided with rollers l0 resting on the floor and rollers H connected tothe posts by clamps i2 and which rest on the bed rail, and thesetogether with the rollers 13 tend to reduce noise freely slidableconnection scissor-like movement and friction when the posts are movedrelative to the bed and the frame in the operation of the device. Theposts at each side of the bed are further connected by a member 6extensible like the posts to permit movement of the posts toward andfrom each other- The parts of the lifting device on opposite sides ofthe bed are connected by rods l9 which pass under the bed.

To assist in urging the posts toward each other and to retain the devicein elevated position there is provided at each side of the bed an anglelever 2 connected at one end by a pivot 5 to a collar I! on the tubularportion of the member 6. This angle lever rests on a roller 4 on thepost to which the slidable part of member 6 is connected. In the lowerside of the lever 2 at the angle is a notch adapted to engage the roller4 to hold the device elevated. At the outer end of lever 2 is a tread 3by which the lever may be operated by the foot. A rod 20 connects thelevers so that they may be operated from either side of the bed.

Additional means may be provided to assist in moving the posts towardeach other to elevate the frame.

The operation of the device is apparently clear from the abovedescription.

I claim:

1. An invalid lifting device comprising lifting elements adapted to bepositioned on opposite sides of a bed connected for simultaneousoperation, each of these elements including two extensib-le supportingstandards, each standard comprising a guiding element, a movable elementslidable therein, crossed rods pivoted together at a point intermediatetheir ends for scissor-like movement, the upper and lower ends of therods being pivoted respectively to the movable and the guiding portionsof the standards, the lower ends of the standards being connected by anextensible member like the standards, a frame having a flexible bodysupport stretched thereon attached to the upper ends of the standards,whereby when the standards at each side of the bed are moved toward eachother the lifting elements are extended and the frame elevated and meansmounted on the device and operable from either side of the bed forurging the standards toward each other.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 in which the means for urging thestandards toward each other includes an angle lever pivoted at oneend tothe guiding section, the other leg of the angle lever resting against aroller on the standard to which the relatively movable section isconnected, a tread at the free end of the angle lever to which pressuremay be applied to depress the lever.

3. In combination with a bed, an invalid lifting and supporting devicecomprising lifting elements on opposite sides of the bed connected forsimultaneous operation, each of these elements including two extensiblesupporting standards, each standard comprising a guiding element and amovable element slidable therein, crossed rods pivoted together at anintermediate point for scissor-like movement, the upper and lower endsof the rods being connected respectively to the movable and guidingportions of the standards, the lower ends of the standards beingconnected by a member extensible like the standards, each standardhaving a roller resting on the floor and another resting on the bedrail, a frame extending around the edges of the mattress of the bed 20and slidably connected to the upper extremities of the standards, aflexible body support stretched on the frame, means mounted on thedevice and readily operable from either side of the bed for urging thestandards on each side of the bed toward each other guided by theextensible connecting member and for retaining the extensible supportingstandards in a predetermined position of extension.

4. A device as defined in claim 3 in which the means for urging thestandards together includes an angle lever pivoted at one end to oneelement of the extensible connecting member and the other leg of theangle lever resting against a roller on the standard to which the otherelement of the connecting member is connected, a tread at the free endof the angle lever to which pressure may be applied to depress thelever.

MARTHA L. COWLES.

